QueryTrackerBlog

Monday, June 29, 2009

Rejection is a part of life. Sad but true. Regardless of your profession or abilities, you will come face to face with rejection and it's rarely a pleasant experience.

Writers have it pretty bad when it comes to rejection for two reasons: 1) They are trying to sell a product that is a part of themselves--something they care about that's personal, and 2) The rejection comes in writing.

The best advice I can give is to not take it personally. Truly, that rejection is not aimed at the writer in a spiteful or even personal way. Often, it is a form letter sent to hundreds and sometimes thousands of other writers who have queried that agent or editor.

On several occasions, I've received a personal message from a fellow writer ranting about how mean an agent was about his/her work in a rejection letter. When I asked the author if I could see the letter (because I've never seen a mean rejection yet and was intrigued) I discovered it was nothing more than a typical form rejection--well crafted to appear personal, but not personalized at all. The writer was creating a slight in his/her mind that didn't exist. In one case, I was able to produce the exact same letter with identical wording that I had received in response to my own submission to that agent months earlier.

Because I'm only one person with one person's limited experience, I want to share some other writers' views on handling rejections.

Jeremiah Tolbert is a science fiction writer and editor for Escape Pod. I love his article, An Editor's Perspective on Rejection (Click on title to read). Mr. Tolbert addresses his approach to rejection as both a writer and an editor. His take? It's not personal and don't expect a rejection to be writing advice.

Satire author Simon Haynes wrote an article on this subject called, Rejection of the Literary Kind, which should be required reading for unpublished writers seeking representation.

Mr Haynes proposes that the road to publication can be pictured something like this:

Mr. Haynes also addresses a recurring theme in my conversations with writer. Often, I am asked why an agent doesn't tell a writer what is wrong with the work. I know of several agents who used to do that, but had such negative responses from a few writers, they've stopped giving feedback on anything but fulls and even then, they are careful because some writers fire angry responses back. I find it hard to believe, but there are agents who have received death threats because of rejections. Sickening.

On this subject, Mr. Haynes writes:

Of course, agents who gave honest feedback would be swamped by a tsunami of vitriol from aggrieved and hurting writers, which is why they don't do this.

Mr. Bransford explains why he gives form rejections and doesn't respond to questions regarding his rejections:

I know. My standard query rejection letters are just as ambiguous and unhelpful as every other agent's (except that if you personalize your letter to me I'll personalize mine back). I know you're left hanging, that you'd like some leads, some more info... anything more than what I'm able to give you.

But I'm sorry -- my response is my response. That's it. I get 6,000-7,000 queries a year. I can't provide tips or referrals or answer further questions to even a small portion of these, or else I'd do nothing but answer queries and query questions. I have to delete follow-up questions so I can move on with my day. I mean, I can't even respond to say I'm not responding, simply because that alone would be such a huge time suck. So I just delete them.

I guess my point is this: Yes, it's difficult for a writer to be told that the novel/book/story she has delved into her heart to produce is not right for an agent's list. Even so, a writer must learn how to deal with this rejection and use it in a positive way, not take it as a personal affront. Publishing is a business. A hard one. As the old saying goes: "The only thing all published authors have in common is that the didn't give up."

One of my books is in submission with publishers. Realistically, I will receive rejections (my agent will be receiving them as well. See? Agents get rejection letters too). How will I handle it? The same way I handled agent rejection letters. I understand that it is not me the editor will be rejecting, but my book. Not all my books--just this one. And I've got a lot more books in me.

I believe that in order to make it, all writers, new or established, must believe in themselves and their talent.

Hold those rejections at arm's length and don't let them close to your heart.

Do you have a technique/trick/tip for handling rejection? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Have a beautiful week,

Mary

Mary Lindsey writes paranormal fiction for teens and adults. Prior to attending University of Houston Law school, she received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Drama. Mary is represented by Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Though flash fiction has been around for years, only recently has it become important in the literary community. Also called the “smoke-long” story because it’s just long enough to read while smoking a cigarette, flash fiction has become important largely because the whole story can fit nicely on a web page. Its brevity helps it hold a busy reader’s interest.

Flash fiction is usually written as a single act and is between 300 and 1000 words in length. (In comparison, a short-short is 1000-2500, a short is 2500-7500, novelette 7500-17,500, and a novella is 17,500-40,000.) Flash fiction collections are sold in bookstores, usually as anthologies.

1000 words sounds easy – What’s the catch?

To quote Jason Gurley of WritingWorld.com,“The challenge of flash fiction is to tell a complete story in which every word is absolutely essential, to peel away the frills and lace until you're left with nothing but the hard, clean-scraped core of a story.”

There’s no room for back story, and your characters must be immediately interesting and strong in order to invoke a reaction in your reader. The plot must be tight, the setting conveyed completely with only a few words. The goal is to write something memorable.

For tips on how to successfully write flash fiction, check out this article by G. W. Thomas.

Can you get paid for writing it?

Yes! Flash Fiction Online, for example, pays $50 for each entry it accepts for publication. (It's also a great place to read flash fiction.) Some magazines and e-zines do not pay, but the exposure you get is well worth the trouble. It will help you build your platform as Carolyn discussed last week.

What about flash fiction contests?

Another good way to get your story published! While there are many accepting entries right now, there’s one of particular interest for you agent-minded folk: WOW (Women on Writing) is hosting their quarterly flash fiction contest. The guest judge is literary agent Melissa Jeglinski of The Knight Agency. Be sure to check out WOW's rules – entries are limited and a nominal fee is required.

Where can I submit my flash fiction?

Duotrope provides a full listing of all magazines accepting material for publication. The site is free to use and, with a free membership, you can track your submissions.

Unfortunately I’ve been unable to find a central listing of flash fiction contests. So if any of you are aware of a site, please let me know!

The skinny on flash fiction:

Writing a flash fiction piece is the perfect way to get out of a slump (like writer’s block) and start submitting material. It's a great project that can be done in as little as a weekend. Many mags accept email submissions, so it couldn't be easier.

Can it put you closer to publication of your big project? Absolutely! Agents look for writing credits. You can mention it in a query. This is an easy way for them to see a polished sample of your work, and for you to begin sharing your stories with family, friends, and colleagues.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

A platform will help you attract the attention of an agent and later a publisher. Why?

Because having a platform proves that you

Care enough about your project to promote it

Have some marketing savvy

Come with a built-in fan base (read: guaranteed sales)

More importantly, a good platform will help sell your book when it comes out. Fewer and fewer publishers are putting money into promoting books — especially books by unknowns and newcomers. That means that the onus of promotion falls almost completely (and sometimes completely) on you, the author. You are the one who’s going to be making people aware of the book, and convincing them to buy it. You are the one who’s responsible for making the book a success.

Just sit with that for a minute.

Your job doesn’t end with writing the book. It doesn’t end with landing an agent or even a publisher. These days, you must also be a marketing expert.

The good news is, you can learn how if you don’t know. And I'm going to help you get started.

Do you already have the makings of a platform?

If you’re writing nonfiction, do you have any of the following in the area you’re writing about?

Advanced degrees or certifications (e.g. MA, PhD)

Teaching experience

Speaking experience (e.g. you’re the pastor of a large church, you give presentations to large corporate groups)

Professional (i.e. on-the-job) experience

Expert experience (i.e. have you been quoted in newspapers or magazines as an expert on your topic?

Published articles in local (good) or national (better) magazines or newspapers

A polished, professional-looking website or blog

If you’re writing fiction, do you have any of the following?

Advanced degrees or certifications (e.g. an MFA)

Published short fiction

Writing awards from local, regional, or national contests (see below)

A successful website or blog that spotlights your writing

Help! — I don’t have a platform!

Let’s say you don’t have a platform. You don’t even have a shoebox to stand on. Now what?

Now you sit down with a piece of paper and answer the following questions.

Why do people need my book (as opposed to the thousands that already line the shelves?) What makes my idea unique? (Everyone must be able to answer this.)

Why must I be the one to write this book? What about my background or experience makes me the only one who can write this? (This is particularly important for nonfiction writers.)

What do I do really well? (Go ahead and list everything you can think of here, even if it doesn’t seem relevant.)

How much time and energy am I willing to commit to building this platform? (e.g. I will blog three times a week on my book topic, every week)

What would I like my platform to look like in a year? (e.g. my blog will have 1000 subscribers)

After you answer these questions, you need to decide how you’re going to get from point A (don’t even have a shoebox) to point B (a real live platform). Look again at the skills you listed — can you use any of them?

For both fiction and nonfiction writers, some of the best ways to build a platform include:

Blogging

Using other social networking sites, such as mySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. The trick is to provide information that’s really going to intrigue other people and get them invested in your book. Don’t tell them that you wrote 1500 words today — tell them that you did some fascinating research for your story on bondage furniture for that S&M dungeon in your story. Don’t just tell them you’re interviewing people for your nonfiction book — give them outtakes from the interview, or at least tease them with what kinds of nuggets of wisdom are going to be in your finished manuscript.

A website that provides information related to your story or nonfiction book. Writing a story about psychics? Give people some information about real psychics and how you got interested in the topic. Mary Lindsey provides photographs of real places mentioned in her novel, Soul Purpose. Even if you haven’t read the novel, the pictures are interesting.

For nonfiction writers, find ways to speak or teach publicly.

Writing a book on a particular kind of craft? Call your local craft store and ask how they find teachers for their classes. (In the US, consider, for example, JoAnn and Michaels crafts stores.) Arrange to meet with the person who organizes the classes, and go armed — take photographs and, if you can, pieces of your very best work. Make a handout that would help your potential students and take that along, too, to show how you would teach.

If you have an advanced degree or specialized knowledge and are willing to spend some money to get your name into big magazines and newspapers, consider becoming a ProfNet Expert. This is just one way that coaching expert Larina Kase went from being an unknown to being a heavy hitter—not just in business, but as a writer!

Use your website or blog to answer questions from readers on your topic.

And do all of these things BEFORE you send your query. Don’t tell the agent you’re going to build a platform; tell her you already have a great one in place. Rachelle Gardner puts it this way:

I DON'T want to see in your proposal, "I am willing to start a blog and join social networks to market myself."

I DO want to see: "I've been blogging for a year, with my readership growing steadily. I use Facebook and Twitter to create relationships with potential future readers of my books, and to drive people back to my blog. I'm currently making contact through the blog and social networks with several hundred (or several thousand) people a day."

Still have questions? Have other ideas on building platform? Feel free to use the comments area below!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

After carefully considering all of the fabulous entries, she's selected her 11 favorites.

These lucky winners will be asked to submit their partial manuscript to Ms. Glick!

Drumroll please...

And the winners are (in alphabetical order by username)

acarthur (YA)

Krystal Bentley has a crush and he’s everything she ever wished for, he’s movie-star cute, laughs at her dry humor and listens to her rantings about her divorced parents without judging. There’s only one problem—he’s dead.

alh719 (narrative fiction/memoir)

On December 7, 2007, I was slugged by a drunk frat boy. In that instant, I realized that living with 65 college women wasn't as glamorous as I thought it would be.

SORORITY HOUSE MOM is the tale of my two-year romp as the house director for a female version of Animal House. While celebrating all that is good, magical, and enchanting about sorority life, it also tells what can happen when things go terribly wrong.

auntpeapie (Adult Fiction)

Olivia Howard transitioned from obedient Air Force brat to dedicated wife and mother, but her orderly life is disrupted when she learns her teenage son and his girlfriend are expecting a child. When the idea of adoption is mentioned, she supports their choice, but no one anticipates her proposal to raise the child as her own—a suggestion interpreted as selfless to some, yet selfish by others, including her husband. AN IMAGINED LIFE explores how her decision threatens to unravel the stability she’s endeavored to achieve.

bgheald (Adult Fiction)

Shelby Holt knows she can’t trust her heart but when she meets Chad Graham she doubts she can trust her head either. The new ranch hand looks uncannily like the man she loved--a man whose death she’s determined to prove was no accident.

collie (Literary Gothic)

After her sister's suicide, Doril is sent to care for her reclusive and delusional great grandmother in Swale Hall on the edge of the Yorkshire moors. She becomes immersed in the old woman's imaginary world, gets to know the still passionately loved, long dead,Tristrum, and discovers the misconceptions that caused such anguish in their relationship.

fictionwriter (YA)

A fifteen-year-old American boy vacationing in Paris stumbles into a murder attempt, and plays a dangerous game to solve a puzzle and prevent an international crisis in THE FOGGED MIRROR.

kerribookwriter (YA)

When troublemaking fifteen year old Tina Lilly is sent to live with her grandmother, she has trouble adjusting to the slow way of life in small town Texas . Things suddenly take a turn after she discovers an old journal in the attic which reveals a murder her grandmother committed fifty years earlier.

In this “My So-Called Life meets Veronica Mars” coming of age romantic suspense novel, Tina will learn that sometimes living a lie is the only way to survive the truth.

kph555 (Adult Fiction)

HUNGER IN THE HEART OF GATOR TOWN is a Southern literary novella, with a finished sequel, about a young boy coming to terms with the consequences World War II has had on his family.

His beloved, shell-shocked, and unpredictable, father stages continual games of war to train his son, his bigoted, alcoholic mother blames the misfortune in her marriage on the black soldier whose life her husband saved, and his manipulative, cantankerous grandfather stirs up constant trouble between the two, while Coleman Puttman Bridgeman, III, is in the center of it all, fighting a personal war of survival.

When the boy’s father is suspiciously shot and killed, his grandfather accuses his daughter-in-law, and a bitter estrangement between Coleman and his mother is set in motion, tempered only by the family’s wise gardener and a neighbor girl with family problems of her own.

lauramcneal (Mystery/Suspense)

A young woman is kidnapped and disappears without a trace; three years later, a senator dies mysteriously, their paths linked by fate and the colliding ambitions of others – the head of the state lottery who will stop at nothing to become the next governor and the missing woman’s sister, whose relentless quest to find the truth threatens to bring him down.

Number_One (YA)

With his dad unemployed and money too tight to buy the comic books he pores over with his friends, Prentis Porter thinks eighth grade at his lousy new school can’t get any worse -- until a deadly cafeteria shooting not only leaves him questioning how he mysteriously survived, but his father’s miraculous appearance as it all ended.

His parents now constantly arguing as more losses pound his family, the imaginative teen finds himself increasingly alone, struggling with sometimes terrible revelations about his best friends, teachers, and family as he pursues the greatest secret of all -- the one he's begun to believe his father holds. Is it even possible, or is Prent the victim of his own imagination:

Is his father some kind of real-life superhero?

StevenLevy (YA)

President Lincoln was stabbed to death before being reelected – that’s what history books would say were it not for two daring, clever, and accidentally reeking children from our own time.

Ted and Carin, preteens living with their emotionally broken father in rural Washington State, find an antique key that opens the door on a sweltering afternoon in the other Washington (DC), where the Civil War is raging and conspirators are plotting to kill the president. Somehow, between stumbling into the sewage-ridden Washington Canal, sneaking into the loosely guarded White House only to lose each other in the vast building, and dodging a soldier still angry over his war wounds and a medium who claims she can reveal their future, these two children, out of place and out of time, must stop a murder that would change history – and find their way back home.

Ms. Glick also compiled a list of honorable mentions. They include:

aliciamuhlestein (YA)

Sent to live with her grandmother at Tamlin Manor, Anika learns that someday she will assume her role as heiress of Tamlin and caretaker of the earth--Mother Nature.

When William Shakespeare sends his son to take over his responsibilities at Tamlin and an Arthurian knight is spotted spying, Anika finds herself in the middle of a few mysteries, an ancient love story, and an admirer who is sworn to a secret not even the myths can know.

Amanda_Sullivan (Narrative Non-Fiction)

Families with children diagnosed as having “mental health issues” such as Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, or any of the other devastating names that are becoming so common to our vocabularies, tend to become lost in the psychological community. Usually they have searched for years looking for answers and they are tired and confused by the lingo, the meds, the social difficulties, the entire family feels it and suffers. This book is a parent’s “guide” through counseling and a Pollyanna approach to finding the true beauty in their child.

aprilannerwin (Adult Fiction)

Kianna Ravencamp’s dream has always been to find The One – but being plus-sized is a real hindrance on the romance market; add in the fact that every relationship around her is dysfunctional and she gives up hope that true love like her parents’ is still possible. Instead, she focuses on the next best thing, her dream of being a songwriter. God has bigger things in mind though – like Nick, Jason and Derek - and her journey to fulfill one dream may just upset everything she believes true about romance, herself, and The One.

chazley (YA)

High school holds as many secrets as a UFO crash site, and no one keeps her mouth shut better than Em Hopkins, a lone shape-shifter in a world of ordinary people.

Em can be anyone you want, from Barack Obama to Avril Lavigne; when the need to shift engulfs her, she can be anyone but herself. HOWEVER YOU WANT ME is a novel about identity, lies, and falling in love with the Hawaiian boy next door (or his brother).

cncurtin (YA)

THE UNICORN TAMER is where Greek mythology meets Pokémon, a young adult fantasy about a 13-year-old girl named Emma Brown, whose destiny is to rehabilitate all the endangered species - from the ordinary blue whales to the extraordinary griffons. The problem is her destiny clashes with a Hunter named Theron, who's destined to wipe out the animal race and prove that man is the most powerful beast of all.

When Theron kidnaps her parents, Emma attempts to rescue them and, in the process, inadvertently discovers a leprechaun city, saves a baby unicorn, and changes the fate of all endangered species - ordinary and extraordinary.

dutchhenry (Adult Fiction)

The cancer is winning, and she'll be gone by fall -- but they have one last summer. One hot summer to consummate a lifetime of love, to cry together, laugh together ... remember together. But when a troubled young girl and an injured horse turn to them for help, Mary and Sam Holt's eloquent final goodbye will embrace the labors of lovingly nursing the horse and leaving an enduring, healing mark on the girl.

harriet (Romantic Suspense)

A sgian dhub dagger links the murder of a handsome 34-year-old man in present-day Boston to a vow made by a Scottish ancestor 700 years earlier. The victim’s widow and his wealthy, powerful best friend are determined to uncover the reason for the senseless killing and avenge it. United by a mutual goal, the two find it increasingly difficult to resist a powerful attraction to each other.

LorettaWheeler (Historical Paranormal Romance)

It is the 1800’s in the heart of New Orleans, where above ground graves guard their secrets with moss cloaked tenacity, and where Deidre Devereaux has not only inherited a plantation, but something more…something wicked…something long dead; something that wants her, and her soul.

LynnRush (YA)

Maybe if Emma Martin hadn’t witnessed vampires kill her first true love, she’d be more willing to fall in love again. Despite her best efforts to resists him, Jake Cunningham steals Emma’s heart. But when his family starts triggering her mystical tattoo, which detects the undead, she may be forced to hunt them.

Congratulations to all! Winners, please email me at the address in the sidebar for details on your submission prize.

Big thanks to Mollie Glick for serving as judge, and thanks to everyone who entered. Remember, even if you didn't win our contest you can still query Ms. Glick with your complete and polished project!

Mollie Glick

After graduating from Brown University, Mollie began her publishing career as a literary scout, advising foreign publishers regarding the acquisition of rights to American books. She then worked as an editor at the Crown imprint of Random House, before switching over to "the other side" and becoming an agent at JVNLA (The Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency) in 2003. Mollie's list includes literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, and a bit of practical non- fiction. She's particularly interested in fiction that bridges the literary/commercial divide, combining strong writing with a great plot, and non-fiction dealing with popular science, medicine, psychology, cultural history, memoir and current events. She's very hands-on, working collaboratively with her authors to refine their projects, then focusing on identifying just the right editors for the submissions. In addition to her work as a literary agent, Mollie also teaches classes on non-fiction proposal writing at Media Bistro, and a copy of her instructional article on non-fiction proposal writing will be featured in this year's edition of the Writers Digest guide to literary agents.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Let’s say you’ve done all that. You’ve written a great novel, ran it through a critique buddy or two, polished the query letter, all of it.

What next?

Researching literary agents, of course.

I think this step actually starts way back at the beginning and you should do it in bits and pieces as you prepare to query. No matter how you do it, just make sure you do. After all, you want to place your novel with an agent that will A) be a good match for you personality-wise B) likes your genre C) has contacts in your genre and D) has the best possibility of garnering a request from the query letter.

Thus, you must research.

Now, if you know me, I actually despise research—except for researching agents. I find this kind of research hopeful, because I know that I can find the literary agents that will be the best ones to query for my work. Here’s a few tips for making this process a little easier.

1. Search by genre. There is absolutely no point in querying agents who don’t represent your genre. It’s a colossal waste of your time—and theirs. Using the main QueryTracker site, this is easy, easy, easy.

Simply find your genre in the drop down menu and click search.

2. Once you’ve identified agents according to genre, find out all you can about them. On the "Overview & User Comments" tab, I can see everything I need to research the agent. For Kae Tienstra, there is her email address, a website listed, a blog, links to Publisher’s Marketplace, AgentQuery, AAR, Preditors & Editors, methods of submitting, the whole nine yards.

I typically open all of these links at once by clicking on them and letting them load in their own window. Then I systematically read each one, checking for the following:

o Submission Guidelineso What they’re looking foro Response timeso Anything else I think would help identify Kae as an agent I want to query.

3. Now I’m 95% sure that I want to query Kae. One more thing I always do: a Google search with the words, “interview with literary agent XXX”. This is a good way to further discover if the agent you’re researching is looking for a book like yours. We’ve done two interviews with literary agents (Anna Webman and Beth Fleisher) as well as a reposting of Ginger Clark’s interview. Cynthia Leitich Smith does several interviews each month with literary agents on her blog, Cynsations. The Guide to Literary Agents blog is also a terrific resource for interviews and what specific agents are looking for.

Now that I know I want to query Kae, I prepare the first paragraph of my query letter. I tend to try to find something personal about each agent to begin the query with. This is where the blog I’ve been reading or the interview I’ve found comes in. My first line is usually something like this: “In an interview you gave on the Cynsations blog, you said you were looking for “teen protagonists with a strong voice”. Because of this, I believe you would be interested in my young adult novel, XXX.”

Then I launch into my hook, query, sinker. The agent knows I’ve done my research, and that I’m not spamming every agent in AgentLand with the same email.

I think many times, aspiring authors will only complete step number one, and search by genre. I don’t think this is enough. I think you owe it to yourself and to the agents you’re querying to do more than that. Read their websites and blogs. Familiarize yourself with their sales records and what they’re selling. Find out everything you can about the agent and their agency (forum discussions, following them on Twitter, reading books by authors they represent) before you hit send or affix that postage stamp.

Researching agents should not be skipped. It’s as important as the query letter. And we all know how important that is. A fabulous query letter is worthless unless you get it in front of the right agents. So roll up those sleeves, and do your research!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Mark McVeigh of the McVeigh Agency represents commercial fiction, literary fiction, children's fiction including middle grade and young adult as well as graphic novels. He also represents certain types of non-fiction. See his profile for a detailed listing.

Alyssa Reuben of the Paradigm Literary and Talent Agency is accepting queries for most types of fiction and non-fiction. Check out her profile on QueryTracker.net for a full listing.

Mary Lindsey writes paranormal fiction for teens and adults. Prior to attending University of Houston Law school, she received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Drama. Mary is represented by Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

One day as I browsed the web for tips on writing, I came across a goldmine. I immediately contacted Pat Holt, the author of the treasure trove, asking for permission to reprint it on this blog. It was a delight to correspond with her, and I have since become an avid follower of her site and am always amazed at the clarity with which she sees (and sees through) the issues facing writers today.

Ten Mistakes Writers Don’t See (But Can Easily Fix When They Do)

Like many editorial consultants, I’ve been concerned about the amount of time I’ve been spending on easy fixes that the author shouldn’t have to pay for.

Sometimes the question of where to put a comma, how to use a verb or why not to repeat a word can be important, even strategic. But most of the time the author either missed that day’s grammar lesson in elementary school or is too close to the manuscript to make corrections before I see it.

So the following is a list I’ll be referring to people *before* they submit anything in writing to anybody (me, agent, publisher, your mom, your boss). From email messages and front-page news in the New York Times to published books and magazine articles, the 10 ouchies listed here crop up everywhere. They’re so pernicious that even respected Internet columnists are not immune.

The list also could be called, “10 COMMON PROBLEMS THAT DISMISS YOU AS AN AMATEUR,” because these mistakes are obvious to literary agents and editors, who may start wording their decline letter by page 5. What a tragedy that would be.

So here we go:

1. REPEATSJust about every writer unconsciously leans on a “crutch” word. HillaryClinton’s repeated word is “eager” (can you believe it? the committeethat wrote Living History should be ashamed). Cosmopolitan magazineeditor Kate White uses “quickly” over a dozen times in A Body To DieFor. Jack Kerouac’s crutch word in On the Road is “sad,” sometimesdoubly so - “sad, sad.” Ann Packer’s in The Dive from Clausen’s Pieris “weird.”

Crutch words are usually unremarkable. That’s why they slip undereditorial radar - they’re not even worth repeating, but there you haveit, pop, pop, pop, up they come. Readers, however, notice them, getirked by them and are eventually distracted by them, and down goes yourbook, never to be opened again.

But even if the word is unusual, and even if you use it differently whenyou repeat it, don’t: Set a higher standard for yourself even if readerswon’t notice. In Jennifer Egan’s Look at me, the core word - a goodword, but because it’s good, you get *one* per book - is “abraded.”Here’s the problem:

The same goes for repeats of several words together - a phrase orsentence that may seem fresh at first, but, restated many times, drawsattention from the author’s strengths. Sheldon Siegel nearly bludgeonsus in his otherwise witty and articulate courtroom thriller, FinalVerdict, with a sentence construction that’s repeated throughout thebook:

“His tone oozes self-righteousness when he says…” page 188“His voice is barely audible when he says…” page 193“His tone is unapologetic when he says…” page 199“Rosie keeps her tone even when she says…” page 200“His tone is even when he says…” page 205“I switch to my lawyer voice when I say …” page 211“He sounds like Grace when he says…” page 211

What a tragedy. I’m not saying all forms of this sentence should belopped off. Lawyers find their rhythm in the courtroom by phrasingquestions in the same or similar way. It’s just that you can’t do it toooften on the page. After the third or fourth or 16th time, readersexclaim silently, “Where was the editor who shoulda caught this?” or“What was the author thinking?

1. So if you are the author, don’t wait for the agent or house or even editorial consultant to catch this stuff *for* you. Attune your eye now. Vow to yourself, NO REPEATS.

And by the way, even deliberate repeats should always be questioned: “Here are the documents.” says one character. “If these are the documents, I’ll oppose you,” says another. A repeat like that just keeps us on the surface. Figure out a different word; or rewrite the exchange. Repeats rarely allow you to probe deeper.

2. FLAT WRITING“He wanted to know but couldn’t understand what she had to say, so he waited until she was ready to tell him before asking what she meant.”

Something is conveyed in this sentence, but who cares? The writing is so flat, it just dies on the page. You can’t fix it with a few replacement words - you have to give it depth, texture, character. Here’s another:

“Bob looked at the clock and wondered if he would have time to stop for gas before driving to school to pick up his son after band practice.” True, this could be important - his wife might have hired a private investigator to document Bob’s inability to pick up his son on time - and it could be that making the sentence bland invests it with more tension. (This is the editorial consultant giving you the benefit of the doubt.) Most of the time, though, a sentence like this acts as filler. It gets us from A to B, all right, but not if we go to the kitchen to make a sandwich and find something else to read when we sit down.

Flat writing is a sign that you’ve lost interest or are intimidated by your own narrative. It shows that you’re veering toward mediocrity, that your brain is fatigued, that you’ve lost your inspiration. So use it as a lesson. When you see flat writing on the page, it’s time to rethink, refuel and rewrite.

3. EMPTY ADVERBSActually, totally, absolutely, completely, continually, constantly, continuously, literally, really, unfortunately, ironically, incredibly, hopefully, finally - these and others are words that promise emphasis, but too often they do the reverse. They suck the meaning out of every sentence.

I defer to People Magazine for larding its articles with empty adverbs. A recent issue refers to an “incredibly popular, groundbreakingly racy sitcom.” That’s tough to say even when your lips aren’t moving.

In Still Life with Crows, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child describe a mysterious row of corn in the middle of a field: “It was, in fact, the only row that actually opened onto the creek.” Here are two attempts at emphasis (”in fact,” “actually”), but they just junk up the sentence. Remove them both and the word “only” carries the burden of the sentence with efficiency and precision.

(When in doubt, try this mantra: Precise and spare; precise and spare; precise and spare.)

In dialogue, empty adverbs may sound appropriate, even authentic, but that’s because they’ve crept into American conversation in a trendy way. If you’re not watchful, they’ll make your characters sound wordy, infantile and dated.

In Julia Glass’s Three Junes, a character named Stavros is a forthright and matter-of-fact guy who talks to his lover without pretense or affectation. But when he mentions an offbeat tourist souvenir, he says, “It’s absolutely wild. I love it.” Now he sounds fey, spoiled, superficial.. (Granted, “wild” nearly does him in; but “absolutely” is the killer.)

The word “actually” seems to emerge most frequently, I find. Ann Packer’s narrator recalls running in the rain with her boyfriend, “his hand clasping mine as if he could actually make me go fast.” Delete “actually” and the sentence is more powerful without it.

The same holds true when the protagonist named Miles hears some information in Empire Falls by Richard Russo. “Actually, Miles had no doubt of it,” we’re told. Well, if he had no doubt, remove “actually” - it’s cleaner, clearer that way. “Actually” mushes up sentence after sentence; it gets in the way every time. I now think it should *never* be used.

Another problem with empty adverbs: You can’t just stick them at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a general idea or wishful thinking, as in “Hopefully, the clock will run out.” Adverbs have to modify a verb or other adverb, and in this sentence, “run out” ain’t it.

Look at this hilarious clunker from The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: “Almost inconceivably, the gun into which she was now staring was clutched in the pale hand of an enormous albino.”

Ack, “almost inconceivably” - that’s like being a little bit infertile! Hopefully, that “enormous albino” will ironically go back to actually flogging himself while incredibly saying his prayers continually.

4. PHONY DIALOGUEBe careful of using dialogue to advance the plot. Readers can tell when characters talk about things they already know, or when the speakers appear to be having a conversation for our benefit. You never want one character to imply or say to the other, “Tell me again, Bruce: What are we doing next?”

Avoid words that are fashionable in conversation. Ann Packer’s characters are so trendy the reader recoils. ” ‘What’s up with that?’ I said. ‘Is this a thing [love affair]?’ ” “We both smiled. ” ‘What is it with him?’ I said. ‘I mean, really.’ ” Her book is only a few years old, and already it’s dated.

Dialogue offers glimpses into character the author can’t provide through description. Hidden wit, thoughtful observations, a shy revelation, a charming aside all come out in dialogue, so the characters *show* us what the author can’t *tell* us. But if dialogue helps the author distinguish each character, it also nails the culprit who’s promoting a hidden agenda by speaking out of character.

An unfortunate pattern within the dialogue in Three Junes, by the way, is that all the male characters begin to sound like the author’s version of Noel Coward - fey, acerbic, witty, superior, puckish, diffident. Pretty soon the credibility of the entire novel is shot. You owe it to each character’s unique nature to make every one of them an original.

Now don’t tell me that because Julia Glass won the National Book Award, you can get away with lack of credibility in dialogue. Setting your own high standards and sticking to them - being proud of *having* them - is the mark of a pro. Be one, write like one, and don’t cheat.5. NO-GOOD SUFFIXESDon’t take a perfectly good word and give it a new backside so it functions as something else. The New York Times does this all the time. Instead of saying, “as a director, she is meticulous,” the reviewer will write, “as a director, she is known for her meticulousness.” Until she is known for her obtuseness.

The “ness” words cause the eye to stumble, come back, reread: Mindlessness, characterlessness, courageousness, statuesqueness, preciousness - you get the idea. You might as well pour marbles into your readers’ mouths. Not all “ness” words are bad - goodness, no - but they are all suspect.

The “ize” words are no better - finalize, conceptualize, fantasize, categorize. The “ize” hooks itself onto words as a short-cut but stays there like a parasite. Cops now say to each other about witnesses they’ve interrogated, “Did you statementize him?” Some shortcut. Not all “ize” words are bad, either, but they do have the ring of the vulgate to them - “he was brutalized by his father,” “she finalized her report.” Just try to use them rarely.

Adding “ly” to “ing” words has a little history to it. Remember the old Tom Swifties? “I hate that incision,” the surgeon said cuttingly. “I got first prize!” the boy said winningly. But the point to a good Tom Swiftie is to make a punchline out of the last adverb. If you do that in your book, the reader is unnecessarily distracted. Serious writing suffers from such antics.

Some “ingly” words do have their place. I can accept “swimmingly,” “annoyingly,” “surprisingly” as descriptive if overlong “ingly” words. But not “startlingly,” “harrowingly” or “angeringly,” “careeningly” - all hell to pronounce, even in silence, like the “groundbreakingly” used by People magazine above. Try to use all “ingly” words (can’t help it) sparingly.

6. THE “TO BE” WORDSOnce your eye is attuned to the frequent use of the “to be” words - “am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “be,” “being,” “been” and others - you’ll be appalled at how quickly they flatten prose and slow your pace to a crawl.

The “to be” words represent the existence of things - “I am here. You are there.” Think of Hamlet’s query, “to be, or not to be.” To exist is not to act, so the “to be” words pretty much just there sit on the page. “I am the maid.” “It was cold.” “You were away.”

I blame mystery writers for turning the “to be” words into a trend: Look how much burden is placed on the word “was” in this sentence: “Around the corner, behind the stove, under the linoleum, was the gun.” All the suspense of finding the gun dissipates. The “to be” word is not fair to the gun, which gets lost in a sea of prepositions.

Sometimes, “to be” words do earn a place in writing: “In a frenzy by now, he pushed the stove away from the wall and ripped up the linoleum. Cold metal glinted from under the floorboards. He peered closer. Sure enough, it was the gun.” Okay, I’m lousy at this, but you get the point: Don’t squander the “to be” words - save them for special moments.

Not so long ago, “it was” *defined* emphasis. Even now, if you want to say, “It was Margaret who found the gun,” meaning nobody else but Margaret, fine. But watch out - “it was” can be habitual: “It was Jack who joined the Million Man March. It was Bob who said he would go, too. But it was Bill who went with them.” Flat, flat, flat.

Try also to reserve the use of “there was” or “there is” for special occasions. If used too often, this crutch also bogs down sentence after sentence. “He couldn’t believe there was furniture in the room. There was an open dresser drawer. There was a sock on the bed. There was a stack of laundry in the corner. There was a handkerchief on the floor….” By this time, we’re dozing off, and you haven’t even gotten to the kitchen.

One finds the dreaded “there was/is” in jacket copy all the time. “Smith’s book offers a range of lively characters: There is Jim, the puzzle-loving dad. There is Winky, the mom who sits on the 9th Court of Appeals. There is Barbie, brain surgeon to the stars….”

Attune your eye to the “to be” words and you’ll see them everywhere. When in doubt, replace them with active, vivid, engaging verbs. Muscle up that prose.7. LISTS“She was entranced by the roses, hyacinths, impatiens, mums, carnations, pansies, irises, peonies, hollyhocks, daylillies, morning glories, larkspur…” Well, she may be entranced, but our eyes are glazing over.

If you’re going to describe a number of items, jack up the visuals. Lay out the the scene as the eye sees it, with emphasis and emotion in unlikely places. When you list the items as though we’re checking them off with a clipboard, the internal eye will shut.

It doesn’t matter what you list - nouns, adjectives, verbs - the result is always static. “He drove, he sighed, he swallowed, he yawned in impatience.” So do we. Dunk the whole thing. Rethink and rewrite. If you’ve got many ingredients and we aren’t transported, you’ve got a list.

8. SHOW, DON’T TELLIf you say, “she was stunning and powerful,” you’re *telling* us. But if you say, “I was stunned by her elegant carriage as she strode past the jury - shoulders erect, elbows back, her eyes wide and watchful,” you’re *showing* us. The moment we can visualize the picture you’re trying to paint, you’re showing us, not telling us what we *should* see..

Handsome, attractive, momentous, embarrassing, fabulous, powerful, hilarious, stupid, fascinating are all words that “tell” us in an arbitrary way what to think. They don’t reveal, don’t open up, don’t describe in specifics what is unique to the person or event described. Often they begin with cliches.

Here is Gail Sheehy’s depiction of a former “surfer girl” from the New Jersey shore in Middletown, America:

“This was a tall blond tomboy who grew up with all guy friends. A natural beauty who still had age on her side, being thirty; she didn’t give a thought to taming her flyaway hair or painting makeup on her smooth Swedish skin.”

Here I *think* I know what Sheehy means, but I’m not sure. Don’t let the reader make such assumptions. You’re the author; it’s your charge to show us what you mean with authentic detail. Don’t pretend the job is accomplished by cliches such as “smooth Swedish skin,” “flyaway hair,” “tall blond tomboy,” “the surfer girl” - how smooth? how tall? how blond?

Or try this from Faye Kellerman in Street Dreams:

“[Louise's] features were regular, and once she had been pretty. Now she was handsome in her black skirt, suit, and crisp, white blouse.”

Well, that’s it for Louise, poor thing. Can you see the character in front of you? A previous sentence tells us that Louise has “blunt-cut hair” framing an “oval face,” which helps, but not much - millions of women have a face like that. What makes Louise distinctive? Again, we may think we know what Kellerman means by “pretty” and “handsome” (good luck), but the inexcusable word here is “regular,” as in “her features were regular.” What *are* “regular” features?

The difference between telling and showing usually boils down to the physical senses. Visual, aural aromatic words take us out of our skin and place us in the scene you’ve created. In conventional narrative it’s fine to use a “to be” word to talk us into the distinctive word, such as “wandered” in this brief, easily imagined sentence by John Steinbeck in East of Eden. “His eyes were very blue, and when he was tired, one of them wandered outward a little.” We don’t care if he is “handsome” or “regular.”

Granted, context is everything, as writing experts say, and certainly that’s true of the sweltering West African heat in Graham Greene’s The Heart of the Matter: “Her face had the ivory tinge of atabrine; her hair which had once been the color of bottled honey was dark and stringy with sweat.” Except for “atabrine” (a medicine for malaria), the words aren’t all that distinctive, but they quietly do the job - they don’t tell us; they show us.

Commercial novels sometimes abound with the most revealing examples of this problem. The boss in Linda Lael Miller’s Don’t Look Now is “drop-dead gorgeous”; a former boyfriend is “seriously fine to look at: 35, half Irish and half Hispanic, his hair almost black, his eyes brown.” A friend, Betsy, is “a gorgeous, leggy blonde, thin as a model.” Careful of that word “gorgeous” - used too many times, it might lose its meaning.9. AWKWARD PHRASING“Mrs. Fletcher’s face pinkened slightly.” Whoa. This is an author trying too hard. “I sat down and ran a finger up the bottom of his foot, and he startled so dramatically …. ” Egad, “he startled”? You mean “he started”?

Awkward phrasing makes the reader stop in the midst of reading and ponder the meaning of a word or phrase. This you never want as an author. A rule of thumb - always give your work a little percolatin’ time before you come back to it. Never write right up to deadline. Return to it with fresh eyes. You’ll spot those overworked tangles of prose and know exactly how to fix them.

10. COMMASCompound sentences, most modifying clauses and many phrases *require* commas. You may find it necessary to break the rules from time to time, but you can’t delete commas just because you don’t like the pause they bring to a sentence or just because you want to add tension.

“Bob ran up the stairs and looking down he realized his shoelace was untied but he couldn’t stop because they were after him so he decided to get to the roof where he’d retie it.” This is what happens when an author believes that omitting commas can make the narrative sound breathless and racy. Instead it sounds the reverse - it’s heavy and garbled.

The Graham Greene quote above is dying for commas, which I’ll insert here: “Her face had the ivory tinge of atabrine; her hair, which had once been the color of bottled honey, was dark and stringy with sweat.” This makes the sentence accessible to the reader, an image one needs to slow down and absorb.

Entire books have been written about punctuation. Get one. “The Chicago Manual of Style” shows why punctuation is necessary in specific instances. If you don’t know what the rules are for, your writing will show it.

The point to the List above is that even the best writers make these mistakes, but you can’t afford to. The way manuscripts are thrown into the Rejection pile on the basis of early mistakes is a crime. Don’t be a victim.

Pat Holt began her publishing career in the New York office of Houghton Mifflin Company in 1969 and was later promoted to the Boston office, where she was named publicity manager. In the mid-1970s she was senior editor and publicity director for the San Francisco Book Company, and in 1978 she became Publishers Weekly's first full-time Western Correspondent, where her territory ranged from the Rockies to Australia and Mexico to Alaska.

She was book editor and critic at The San Francisco Chronicle for 16 years (1982-1998) and was named a board member of The Center for the Book at the Library of Congress in 1984. Increasingly concerned about the plight of independent bookstores in their struggle to survive wave after wave of chain bookstores, price clubs, discounters and Internet suppliers, Pat Holt resigned from The Chronicle in 1998 to create "Holt Uncensored," an email book column launched by the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association. Now published from the Holt Uncensored website, the column is available free for online subscribers.

Ms. Holt is a founder of the Bay Area Book Reviewers Association, where she originated the idea for an annual BABRA Awards presentation to Northern California authors and publishers (now in its 15th year). In 1990 she became the first nonlibrarian in 40 years to receive the American Library Association's prestigious Grolier Foundation Award. Elected to the board of directors of the National Book Critics Circle in 1991, she became Vice President in charge of membership in 1992-96.

Patricia Holt is the author of a biography of San Francisco private detective Hal Lipset called "The Bug in the Martini Olive," published in 1991 by Little, Brown and reprinted in 1994 as "The Good Detective" by Pocket Books.

After graduating from Brown University, Mollie began her publishing career as a literary scout, advising foreign publishers regarding the acquisition of rights to American books. She then worked as an editor at the Crown imprint of Random House, before switching over to "the other side" and becoming an agent at JVNLA (The Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency) in 2003. Mollie's list includes literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, and a bit of practical non- fiction. She's particularly interested in fiction that bridges the literary/commercial divide, combining strong writing with a great plot, and non-fiction dealing with popular science, medicine, psychology, cultural history, memoir and current events. She's very hands-on, working collaboratively with her authors to refine their projects, then focusing on identifying just the right editors for the submissions. In addition to her work as a literary agent, Mollie also teaches classes on non-fiction proposal writing at Media Bistro, and a copy of her instructional article on non-fiction proposal writing will be featured in this year's edition of the Writers Digest guide to literary agents.

Ms. Glick will be judging your elevator pitches!

An "elevator pitch" is a brief pitch (1 - 3 sentences) in 30 seconds or so. These short pitches get their name from imagining you might deliver these lines to an agent while sharing an elevator.

Maybe if Beatrice Greyson knew someone faked her death as a child, she wouldn't wish so desperately to remember the first decade of her life.

When the search for her birth parents reveals the brutal details of her mother’s murder, Beatrice thinks she’s found the reason she can’t remember her childhood, but her past holds other dark secrets and someone else is just as desperate for Beatrice to remember. Uncovering the truth will force her to confront a violent murderer— and maybe miss out on the love of her life.

* Entries will be accepted by entry form on the main QueryTracker.net site.* You may submit your entries during the 24-hour window beginning at midnight tonight MST and ending at 11:59 Tuesday night.* Acceptable genres are adult fiction, YA fiction, and narrative non-fiction.* Entries should be brief 1 - 3 sentence pitches and take less than a minute.* Ms. Glick will select the top ten winning entries. Winners will be invited to submit a partial manuscript to Ms. Glick!

Mollie Glick of Foundry Literary + Media will be judging our June Agent Contest. She'll be looking at your 1-3 sentence elevator pitches, and winners will be asked to submit a partial to her. Be sure to check back here on Monday for all the details. The contest will open on midnight Monday and last until midnight on Tuesday!

News and Tips from Around the Web

Guest blogger Alex Sokoloff wrote a great post for Blood Red Pencil called Top Ten Things I Know About Editing. At the bottom she includes a fantastic checklist of story elements. "I use [these] both when I’m brainstorming a story on index cards, and again when I’m starting to revise. I find it invaluable to go through my first draft and make sure I’m hitting all of these points." She has also written very extensively about these story elements on her own blog in the post Screenwriting Tricks for Authors.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Why agenting? A lifelong dream, or something that happened serendipitously?This happened with planning and forethought. I wanted to be an editor since I was twelve, and read about an editor’s role in the introduction to a short story in an Isaac Asimov anthology. So of course when I went to college (Boston University, for the sailing team) I majored in Economics and English. The Powers That Be thought it would be better for me to focus on banking and finance. I complied, but committed to a dual major so I could keep up with my love of literature and writing. After one hideous internship in the overnight money department at a major international bank, I gave up economics and threw myself into publishing.

I did a series of internships while in college (Art New England Magazine, Northeastern University Press, Houghton Mifflin trade division) and picked up solid production skills as well as familiarity with all aspects of editorial work. I came back down to New York to interview for jobs as an editorial assistant. With my two year’s of experience, I was a perfect fit — except I couldn’t type fast enough!

I fell back on my production skills, and got a great job at The Berkley Publishing Group (part of Putnam, now part of Penguin USA). I was working on three lines of books, including Ace Science Fiction. After less than a year my boss quit to travel the world. I got her job, and then was able to make the transfer to acquisitions editor at Ace about two years after I started at Berkley. This effectively put me way ahead of my cohort who had started as editorial assistants. So I guess not typing well paid off in the long run!

I worked in house for about ten years. I loved it, especially working with authors to develop their talent. An editor’s job is challenging but quite fun: Working with authors to develop their voice, strengthen their story-telling, and then turning around and working with the business side of things to sell that author’s book as best as possible.

I left working in house to pursue some other goals (graduate school in Medieval history, my own writing, travel, having a family). After all, I had been working non-stop since my junior year in university! I also consulted on a number of publishing projects, and became very involved with comics and graphic novels, especially graphic novels published in Europe. My children are now in sixth grade, and I realized that I had time to get back to my career full time. I thought long and hard about how I wanted to proceed. After all, we don’t get too many opportunities to reposition ourselves!

I thought about going back, and working in-house as an editor. However, for me, there were some issues with that. I want to work with a diverse list of books and authors, and be able to position each author as best as possible, for their individual work. I realized that working in house, with one publisher, wouldn’t present me with that opportunity.

Agenting allows me this freedom: To work with a variety of authors, and be able to draw from a diverse group of publishers, to position my people as best as possible in this competitive world. When the opportunity presented itself to work with Barry Goldblatt, I jumped on it. (Just ask Barry!) He has a superb reputation, and has himself developed a wonderful client list. It’s a pleasure to join such a firm.

And I love negotiating. Brings out the competitor in me. Must be from all my years sailboat racing…

What would you like to see more of as an agent? As a reader?As both a reader and an agent (it’s the same thing, really – you have to represent books you are passionate about) I am looking for forward-thinking writers with a strong individual voice. A writer must not write to a perceived marketing trend (dare I say vampire novels?). What perhaps the novice writer doesn’t know is that it is so very very apparent when an author is not fully engaged with their work — when they are writing for a market. The writing rings false, and that translates to a very dissatisfying read.

Prospective professional writers must keep in mind that if an agent takes on a manuscript today, unless it is a highly unusual circumstance that book won’t see print for a minimum of two years. Add in the time to actually write the thing, and if you’re writing to market, that bus has already left.

So, my words of advice: Only write what you love. Think forward: a new creative voice, not a re-telling of a previous bestseller. And on of my pet peeves: Take the time and effort to fully render the setting of your story. It strikes me as very amateurish when the writer develops plot and characters, but not setting. Setting is a character in the best of books (think everything from Wuthering Heights to Robert B. Parker’s Spenser novels, to Harry Potter). Take the time to make your book the best book possible. A good book lasts forever.

What's the most common mistake you see authors making in their queries? Not writing a business letter. I don’t want self-aggrandizing statements. (This book is the next bestseller!). All I need is a brief paragraph outlining the plot and characters, and five pages so I can see if you can write. Please only include biographical information that is relevant to the content and sale of the book. And take into account what I’m looking for. It’s just a waste of time to send me material that I do not take on.

What’s the one thing an author can do to catch your eye? How can authors get agents to look beyond the query letter?As above: A query letter that is professionally written, short and sweet. And then, unfortunately, there is no secret. What will sell your book is five pages brilliantly written, so that I will ask for more. And that those five pages are followed by a dynamite manuscript.

Over the years I have seen my share of foolishness: In the old days back at Ace, someone sent in a beautiful handmade, velvet lined wood box. The manuscript was awful, so no, the box didn’t help. It did make us think that the author was, shall we say, trying too hard. The same with red envelopes, or whatever one can come up with for an e-submission. I am committed to reading EVERYTHING, and I will. However, publishing is a business, and I want to see a modicum of understanding of that from the prospective author.

What is projected to be the next big thing in publishing? What trend do you see dying?No comment. Why? Because authors should WRITE WHAT THEY LOVE, NOT WRITE TO MARKET. See above. And by the way, Vampire books were dead in the water, until a certain author hit the scene.

Do you often choose to represent works that only you would personally read and enjoy or do you aim to represent works that you know will sell, even if you don't like them?I must feel strongly about a book — and also about an author. The author and I must “click.” I have to know that the author is committed to a career, and will be professional in his or her dealings with me, and their publisher. I will not commit to an author just on their manuscript. I need to talk with them, suss them out, make sure that we’re a good fit. That said, I have widely eclectic tastes, and see a value in many different types of books and styles of writing, from frothy fun books for middle readers like the Captain Underpants series to adult non-fiction, and just about everything in between.

With the economic slow down as it is, are you signing fewer new clients and focusing on the ones you already have?No. I am a huge believer that good books will always sell. I would be crazy to pass up a book I love and an author I want to represent because of the economy. Publishing is a long-term business. The manuscripts I’m reading now won’t be out for two years. I can’t predict where our economy will be then. Even if things are slow, good books sell even in a bad economic climate.

Do you ever get a chance to read for fun? What book do you not represent that you wish you did?I read for fun all the time. It would be pretty silly to be in this business and not enjoy reading! And I have to say, as I’m building my list of clients, there is no book that I regret not representing. I’m looking at a very exciting future.

If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring authors everywhere, what would it be?Write a book that you’re passionate about.

And now, just for fun, I'll hit you with the Fast Five:Coffee or tea? Coffee, rich and dark, with cream. Preferably that great cream one gets anywhere in Europe, full of flavor.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Today's market is tough for writers. It's become essential more than ever to have a manuscript that not only has a fabulous premise, but a great story arc and clean writing as well.

New writers in particular find themselves wondering if hiring a freelance editor would give them the edge needed to stand out in the slush pile.

The answer...um...maybe? Maybe not. It depends. How's that for decisive? Only you can know what's right for your book.

If you do decide to go the freelance editor route, writers beware! There are scam artists in every profession, but writers get so wrapped up in the process that we are sometimes less cautious than we should be. Editorial services for pay is an area that harbors lots of crooks waiting to take money from writers for shoddy work in return.

Because I'm not an editor by any stretch of the imagination and can't address this issue from that side of the fence, I've asked several questions of two writers who are freelance editors. I selected people with whom I am familiar because I am confident of their integrity and experience: Christine DeSmet and Lauren Baratz-Logsted.

Christine DeSmet:

Christine DeSmet is an award-winning writer who also teaches retreats and workshops and provides professional editorial services through University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has directed the annual Writers' Institute conference in Madison for twenty years. She writes novels, short stories, screenplays, and plays. She belongs to a group of writers called Jewels of the Quill; samples of Christine's writing can be found at the Jewels' website, www.JewelsoftheQuill.com.

When and why would an author seek professional editorial advice for a manuscript?

Two kinds of authors benefit greatly by seeking professional critiques or editorial services. First, new authors have discovered that getting a professional critique saves tons of time and heartache. I call it the "Start Smart" approach. An experienced professional knows a lot about what won't fly with agents, editors, publishers, and in contests. So why not save time and learn all that stuff in one fell swoop? In addition, we're neutral parties and not among your group of critique friends saying only nice things about your pages, or worse yet-avoiding telling you things out of lack of knowledge. Or maybe you lack a critique group; we fill that gap for many writers, too. Professional critique people are compassionate and kind; it's our job to help you stop the frustration. We work hard to help you raise your manuscript several notches in days or weeks instead of months or years.

The second group that seeks out editorial services is the intermediate/advanced writer. That group is made up of two kinds of writers: the nearly-published, serious writer, and the published writer who likes that extra pair of eyes on their work before it gets sent out. These writers love saving time and learning all they can to improve their writing. They're somewhat voracious and love new ideas. They want to stop getting so many rejections, and if they're published, they don't want to send anything less than polished material to their agent or editor. These advanced writers come to a person like me with very specific questions, goals, or problems with their story or manuscript. The advanced writer likes the quick diagnosis and brainstorming someone like me can provide.

When you approach a manuscript, what elements are your priority?

I have a "big and small" approach because frankly, agents and editors tell us all the time that they reject manuscripts based on either big issues or small issues.

Many manuscripts are rejected based just on the amount of clutter or typos or mistakes in things like punctuation. Those small things destroy a manuscript fast. Editors at publishing houses and agents don't do that sort of line-editing. That's your job to correct it, and my job to point it out to you and help you correct it or suggest you hire what's called a line editor to clean up your manuscript. A manuscript filled with clutter is like a house filled with clutter; the house or manuscript won't sell in that condition. I always go through a manuscript and circle or strike out clichés and over-used words, and I help you with punctuation.

The harder to fix, and more important things are the "big" issues: emotional content, dramatic tension on every page, story structure and the right plot events and plot points, characterizations and character arc, pacing, scene work and transitions, and the development of the writer's voice on the page. I'm always looking for ways to help a writer make all those big elements work in harmony for great storytelling. I'm also looking for ways to make sure an editor or agent will look at your work and think, "Wow, this is fresh. Fresh story, fresh voice." Editors and agents today are well-versed in structure and all of the things I've mentioned above. They go to all the conferences writers do, and they read books by structure and story specialists such as Christopher Vogler, Donald Maass, Robert McKee, Linda Seger, Dwight Swain, Blake Snyder and others. I steep myself in what those experts say, and try out their ideas in my own writing. I synthesize all of these experts' advice and bring the appropriate techniques and tricks to each writer's manuscript.

I should mention that each manuscript gets a unique approach from me. Every writer and every story is different. There is no formula approach to polishing. Editorial professionals want you to retain your unique voice and story. We don't rewrite your stories. We don't ask that you take out all the words you love; even some of those "clutter" words get to stay now and then. What we're after for you are these two big things you've heard about before: Emotion and Entertainment. Stories have to connect to reader emotions, and stories must entertain in some way.

How do you approach a chapter for edit?

The first thing I do is look at the placement of the chapter within the book's structure. There are different elements of plot and character that readers want for a chapter that's in the middle, for example, versus the opening chapter.

With any chapter, I look for it to start with a hook or a good transitional hook (if it's a chapter further into the manuscript). It's amazing how often we writers forget to catch readers up on the time or day or where we are, and the character's emotional state-of-being since "yesterday." I look for the Point of View character, making sure the author is getting inside the character's head and action and trouble fast. Too often, we writers back into what's going on with a lot of fancy words that I call "throat clearing." The real action or nugget is buried at the end of that first page of the chapter or on the second or third page. So I'm on a treasure hunt for the "nuggets." At least fifty percent of the time I ask writers I'm working with to move something up from the second or third page to the first page of the chapter.

A hook need not be a big, serious thing like action. A hook comes out of the character's Central Question or problem that has to be solved by the end. A hook can be a piece of dialogue, a setting, a big battle or a quiet moment, or even something thematic. But a hook has to startle us somehow; it has to hit the gut, heart, and mind. We have to feel that jolt and think, "Oh my, that's good writing. I'll read on."

The other common, big item I work on with writers within a chapter is the scene work. Often, writers will short-change their scenes or summarize things when they really need a full scene with good action (big or small) and dialogue. Sometimes they write scenes with no purpose. Sometimes a scene has a beginning, but the conclusion comes too fast and we're robbed of character development. Writers also seem to be in this mode of interrupting a scene and picking it back up after the next scene-a sort of hopscotch approach to writing a book. Interruption is a good technique. But the over-use of it and the constant interruption of scenes can wear on readers instead of providing the suspense you think it does. So I look at stylistic choices like that, too, and note how the patterns of the scenes are working or not for the story and reader.

I also look at issues such as settings, claustrophobia, and the like. For example, if you've set three scenes or chapters indoors and people are always sitting when they talk, might it be time to get them outdoors and in an activity while they talk? Is your book becoming too claustrophobic? And if you have a story that has to take place primarily indoors (like a prison), how might we find fresh ways to "open it up"?

Finally, I look for clichéd scenes. One big advantage of hiring a professional critique person or book doctor is that we've seen a lot of scenes. We also pay attention to what agents and editors are saying they're tired of seeing in manuscripts. When I get to your Italian restaurant scene, you can bet I'm going to ask you a few questions about that cliché. Is there a way to make it unique and fresh? Or should you change the restaurant? Do you need that restaurant scene at all? Could they meet instead in a butterfly exhibit or whatever is appropriate to your story and characters? Or, if you really like that Italian restaurant scene, maybe you can turn it into a "set piece" scene that is so fresh and memorable that no editor can refuse buying your manuscript.

What can the author expect to receive from you (line edits, revision letter, etc)?

I ask that writers try me out first without spending much dough. Send the first chapter or no more than twenty pages along with a short synopsis of the entire novel. We don't charge for the synopsis; it's just for my information. I go over the manuscript using everything I've mentioned here in this article or blog. You can expect lots of scribbles on your pages along with explanations of "why" I had that reaction. I also send a detailed letter filled with suggestions. I never leave a writer wondering "how" to correct something. I also welcome unlimited emails. And I look at your rewrite at no extra charge and will write comments on it a second time, as needed.

I work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, so you're paying a fine university's outreach program for the editorial service, and not me directly. We charge $4/double-spaced page or 300 words. Please email me first when interested in a critique so that I can fit you into my schedule around the retreats and other things I teach. Email and address: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu; Christine DeSmet, UW-Madison Liberal Studies & the Arts, 21 N. Park St., Madison, WI 53715-1218. Our website: www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/writing

Christine will be leading a session for first-time novelists at the June 15-19 "Write-by-the-Lake Retreat" in Madison. She'll also be teaching two workshops for writers at the July 20-24 "School of the Arts" held in Rhinelander, Wis., and will be one of the presenters at the "Weekend with Your Novel," Oct. 24-25, in Madison. All are sponsored by UW-Madison.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted:

Lauren Baratz-Logsted was kind enough to answer my questions as well. Some of our readers are already familiar with Lauren. She addressed the topic of writing for multiple genres last month when she was a guest on the QT Blog. Her article is here.

When and why would an author seek professional editorial advice for a manuscript?

When a writer has completed a book and has revised that book to the point where they have tunnel vision - you know in your heart it can still be better but no longer have any clue how to make it so - that is the time to seek out professional assistance.

When you approach a manuscript, what elements are your priority?

Everything! I do a complete copyedit - even the cleanest manuscript typically contains hundreds of minor errors - as well as a developmental edit where I point out any major issues that might prevent an agent or editor from falling in love, providing a prescription for how to solve each problem.

How do you approach a chapter for edit?

I don't really think of looking at books so much on an individual chapter level unless it's to see how the chapter fits with the whole. To give an example, I had a client who wrote a marvelous book...but it was impossible to see that before around p. 75! At that point, the rhythm was finally established, which was of two main characters alternating chapters. Before that, the chapter focus was random and with the book starting out with the less charismatic of the two. I recommended leading with the more charismatic character and then telescoping the earlier chapters, losing some dead wood along the way, so that the rhythm that worked so well later in the book would be established from the get-go.

What can the author expect to receive from you (line edits, revision letter, etc)?

As I said earlier, a complete copyedit as well as developmental advice. I request my clients snail mail their books to me. I mark up the pages using standard proofreader marks, returning any necessary pages to the client. I then email a revision letter. These tend to run anywhere from 1-14 pages, depending on need. Like real doctors, I believe in "First, do no harm." So I don't try to change what doesn't need fixing. The client requiring the 14-page letter was an interesting case. Her book had four first-person narrators. One of the biggest problems was that one of the four, and the one the reader should have most connected with, suffers from depression through most of the book following a life-changing event. The problem with that is: How many of us want to spend time with someone who's clinically depressed when this is pretty much the only way we ever see that person? It was a downer. So I advised her to do two things: 1) have the first scene with this character occur just a little bit before the life-changing event, so we have a sense of her as a more emotionally rounded human being and have something we can root for her to get back to; 2) have other characters testify for her, i.e. through dialogue etc talk about what she was like before, again so we have something to root for. There were several other problems with the book - 14 pages of notes worth! - but the author met the challenge. She made the changes and after she informed me of that, I referred her to an agent who offered representation within 48 hours. Her book is now out on submission and I hope it sells. Will the same thing happen to everyone who works with me? No. But I can guarantee that anyone who does work with me will wind up with a better book and that going through the process will make subsequent books even better because one of my goals is to help writers turn on their own editing ears so that in the future they can better help themselves.

Anything else?

I've always said that all writers have a weakness in one of three areas: bad beginnings, saggy middles, unsatisfying endings. And I've always said the first is the hardest to overcome: you may be brilliant later on but no one will be there to see it when you are if you're saddled with a bad beginning. But I never realized until I started working closely with so many writers how prevalent and truly detrimental bad beginnings are. You've read the two examples I've already cited. Here's a third: A client wrote a middle-grade fantasy novel about a girl who's about to start at a new school she fears. If you look at books clinically you'll see there's always an establishment of the ordinary world followed by the call to adventure. In this instance, the ordinary world was the girl's home and it somehow made the opening very like a Kate DiCamillo book while the rest of the book belongs more on the shelf with Spiderwick Chronicles. Can you see how that wouldn't work? So I advised the author to have the ordinary world be the girl's first beloved school, doing a brief chapter showing her happily immersed there. Then at the end of the chapter it's announced the school is closing and they all have to go to this new awful school - there's your call to adventure!

OK, that's enough anecdotes out of me.

Credentials: I was a book buyer and seller for what was at the time the largest independent bookstore in the northeast. I then became a Publishers Weekly reviewer (292) titles, a freelance editor (nearly 100 titles) and a sort-of librarian. By the end of this year I will have had 15 books published: seven adult books, four for teens or tweens, four for young readers. My books have been published in 11 countries and my publishers have included Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Simon & Schuster, Random House, Red Dress Ink and BenBella. Earlier this year, I decided to launch my own freelance business. Interested parties can reach me at glogsted@aol.com.

I appreciate time Christine and Lauren spent answering my questions.

There are lots of excellent editors out there. Writers just need to be sure to do their research before paying anyone to evaluate their manuscript.

Have a great week, everyone!

Mary Lindsey writes paranormal fiction for children and adults. Prior to attending University of Houston Law School, she received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Drama.